Shenango Coke Works smokestacks coming down
The Shenango Coke Works smokestacks that for years belched toxic pollution into the air over Neville Island and nearby communities are scheduled to come down at noon Tuesday.
But some local government officials and residents are worried that a final burp is possible.
DTE Energy’s plan to implode two brick smokestacks and a massive concrete coal storage bunker at the environmentally troubled coking facility on Neville Island has residents along the Ohio River worried that the demolition could send clouds of unhealthy coal dust and even asbestos their way.
Although DTE said the brick smokestacks do not contain asbestos, and inspections by the Allegheny County Health Department have found none, Ben Avon Mayor Melanie Holcomb said local governments and their residents haven’t been given adequate notification and information about the demolition and criticized the county’s air quality monitoring plans.
“It’s wonderful that the health department inspected for asbestos and coal dust removal, but I’ve been told they can’t remove all of the coal dust from a facility that old,” Ms. Holcomb said. “The Health Department told me it will have someone doing visual monitoring but they can’t tell what’s in the dust by looking at it. It seems to me that having an air monitor in place would be a good idea.”
Marty Hobbs, a 15-year resident of Ben Avon, said the demolition hasn’t been publicized enough and residents could be exposed to demolition dust.
“I’m irritated the residents seem to be the last consideration in this demolition,” Ms. Hobbs said.
Ben Avon used a Facebook post at 10 p.m. Sunday to notify its residents of the upcoming explosive demolition and tell them that several agencies, including the Ohio Township police, would be on hand in case prevailing southwest winds caused dust clouds to envelop communities north of the river. Avalon issued a similar Facebook notice Monday afternoon.
Both municipalities are across the Ohio River from the coke plant, which is about eight miles
downriver from Pittsburgh’s Point.
According to the notifications, “Methods are being used to minimize dust. Nonetheless, there may be dust in the air. Should the wind bring it our direction, the OT police will be on hand to notify residents and advise you to shelter in place with windows closed and air conditioners off.”
Fadi Mourad, DTE environmental director, said all three structures will be wrapped to minimize dust from the demolition, which will be done with dynamite charges. He said two water cannons will also be used to wet down the area where the stacks and bunker fall.
He said Dykon Explosive Demolition Corp., an Oklahoma firm, and Demtech LLC of Butler County were hired to do the explosive implosions. Independence Excavating Inc. of Independence, Ohio, is the contractor for the site cleanup.
“We will continue with demolitions and cleanup going forward, but none of that will involve additional explosives,” Mr. Mourad said. “I expect that work on demolition, cleanup and site assessment will continue for one or two more years.”
Neville Township emergency services is coordinating with local governments and other agencies, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers because the Emsworth Lock & Dam is nearby, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Alleg h e n y County Health Department. The Allegheny County Emergency Management Office will coordinate communications from a command post in the Ashland Chemical Co. parking lot next door to Shenango.
OhioTownship police will be stationed along Route 65, which runs through the boroughs along the ridgeline opposite Neville Island, in case they need to shut down the roadway due to thick smoke from the demolition, Ms. Holcomb said.
Ryan Scarpino, a health department spokesman, said multiple stack sampling has found no asbestos and “we have no reason to believe there are any asbestos concerns with this implosion.”
He said the health department has reviewed the blast plan and made comments concerning dust minimization. Those include requiring wetting the area where the stacks and coal bunker are expected to fall and the use of two water cannons to wet down the stack rubble after they fall.
“We will be observing the implosion to monitor if there is excess dust created from the demolition,” Mr. Scarpino said. “We will also have inspectors present to make smoke readings to determine if there are any violations of our air quality rules.”
He also said the county health department Avalon air pollution monitor will assess pollution levels.
Detroit-based Energy bought the Shenango Coke Works in 2008 and pushed the last coke out of its 56 ovens in January 2016, ending 54 years of baking coal into metallurgical coke at the Neville Island facility.
When it closed, DTE said the decision was based on “global overcapacity in the steel industry.”
“We have no reason to believe there are any asbestos concerns with this implosion.” — Ryan Scarpino, Allegheny County Health Department